Wisconsin erased all questions about who is the top team in NCAA women's hockey sweeping #2 Ohio State on the road this weekend.
The debate is over, the Wisconsin Badgers are now the undisputed #1 team in the nation in NCAA women's hockey. They cleared up all questions this weekend sweeping #2 Ohio State 2-1 and 6-1 in Columbus, Ohio.
In a rematch of the last three national championship games, Wisconsin got stellar goaltending from Ava McNaughton in both outings as she stopped 60 of 62 shots she faced in the series.
In game one of the series, Adela Sapovalivova opened the scoring sliding the puck five hole on a feed from Kirsten Simms.
Late in the third period, Laila Edwards sent Caroline Harvey in alone on a breakaway beating Ohio State goaltender Hailey MacLeod in what would turn out to be an important insurance goal. With their goaltender pulled and an extra attacker on the ice, Ohio State captain Jocelyn Amos pulled her team within one, but that's as close as they'd come in the 2-1 final.
Game two of the series was more lopsided, and resulted in Wisconsin's first road sweep of Ohio State since 2019. Kelly Gorbatenko scored twice for the Badgers, while Caroline Harvey, Maggie Scannell, Cassie Hall, and Hannah Halverson had singles.
Harvey extended her point streak to 17 games, tied for best in the nation with Minnesota's Josefin Bouveng.
Both teams now enter the break, but many of their players are heading to international competition.
Competing for USA at the Rivalry Series will be Ohio State's Emma Peschel, along with Wisconsin's Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey, Kirsten Simms, Ava McNaughton, and Lacey Eden.
Heading overseas for the Women's Euro Hockey Tour this month will be Hilda Svensson, Jenna Raunio, and Mira Jungaker with Sweden from Ohio State, as well as Buckeyes' forward Sanni Vanhanen who will represent Finland. Wisconsin will send Adela Sapovalivova to Team Czechia.